DEADLY REFLECTIONS (BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: FAMILY SECRETS Book 4)

by Regan Black

  That sweet bloom of hope was exactly what she needed to stay strong and see this through.

  Chapter Ten

  That kiss had left Carter’s blood humming, tempting his mind away from the task at hand. They were first to the boathouse, even though Jayne had a head start. If she didn’t show up soon, he’d be forced to assume that she’d bailed. Or worse, was part of a setup. He kept listening for another boat as he scanned the area for any threat.

  He couldn’t fault Paige for wanting to think the best of her twin. But it was too soon for Carter to get on board. Jenna’s intel on Jayne hadn’t revealed any red flags so far. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t show up. His job was to protect Paige at all costs, and that included preventing any nasty surprises.

  “Here she is,” Paige said. She’d been watching from the shadows of the door. Her hand fluttered, waving him closer. He joined her as her sister approached. Jayne was quick and light on her feet as she hurried down the dock.

  “Did you have any trouble?” Paige asked as soon as she stepped inside.

  “No. I was watching the street for your car and finally gave up.” Her gaze shot to the boat at the end of the dock. “You came by boat? Did something happen?”

  “We were jumped when I used a rideshare app,” Carter explained.

  Jayne tilted her head, clearly confused. “Why not just take your car?”

  “Same reason we left the park. I couldn’t pinpoint the trouble, but someone was watching the two of you,” he explained. “If you want to call Jack, this might be the most privacy we can get.” Assuming there was privacy on Jack’s end.

  Carter checked an app on his phone. “I’m showing your dad is in the house. Or his cell phone is, anyway.” He ignored Paige’s gasp that he’d tagged her father’s cell phone. Blind trust wasn’t in his job description. “Am I making the call?”

  After a beat, both women nodded, and he tapped the icon to call Jack, putting it on speaker so they could all hear. Their father answered right away.

  “Mr. Coker, this is Carter. You’re on speaker and I have Paige with me. We’d like to speak privately. Is that possible on your end?”

  “Yes. I’m alone,” Jack replied. “Is everything okay?”

  Not even close.

  “We’re safe right now, Dad,” Paige began. “There is someone else here.” She bit her lip. “The woman from the surveillance video is with us. She is my twin sister. Her name is Jayne Salter.”

  “What? T-twin sister?” Jack sputtered.

  “Identical twins,” Carter said. “We verified and it lines up.”

  “How could you take one of us and not the other?” Paige demanded. Her quaking voice, the tears of anger swimming in her eyes cut Carter to the quick.

  Jayne slipped closer, lending support to the sister she’d just met. Maybe there was more to the twin bond than anyone understood.

  “This is—” Jack swore. “Sweetheart, I didn’t know. I swear I didn’t know.” It sounded as if Jack was crying. “I made arrangements to privately adopt a baby from a young woman at the firm. She confided in me that she wasn’t ready to be a mother.”

  “That never changed,” Jayne muttered.

  “Your mother and I were struggling to start a family,” Jack continued. “It was a good solution all around.”

  “Because you were having an affair with her,” Paige fumed. “Yvette Salter. I know about that too, Dad.”

  “Oh, God.” Jack sucked in a breath. “The fact is you are mine, Paige. She denied the pre-natal paternity test, but I didn’t need it. I knew Yvette was hoping I’d leave your mother.”

  Paige stalked away. Jayne seemed more curious than hurt.

  “Sir, for the sake of the case, can you walk me through that adoption?” Carter asked.

  “I convinced her to let me adopt her baby. Cora would finally be a mom and Yvette would be out of our lives. I found her a position with another company and personally covered all of her medical expenses. A lawyer I knew through a networking group handled everything for us. He drew up the contract with terms of the adoption, Yvette’s surrender of parental rights and everything else.”

  “Do you recall the lawyer’s name?” Carter asked.

  “Michael Yost,” Jack said immediately.

  Jayne wrinkled her nose as if the air had turned sour.

  “And neither Yost nor Yvette ever mentioned she was carrying twins?” Carter pressed.

  “No.” Jack’s voice cracked. “We would’ve been delighted to adopt both babies if given a chance. Cora was devastated that our attempts to get pregnant kept failing and her subsequent emotional trouble made it impossible to adopt through normal channels.”

  No one said anything for a long moment.

  “Paige?” Jack pleaded. “Are you still there?”

  She walked back over. “Yes.”

  “I’m not proud of breaking my marriage vows, but your mother and I are thankful every single day for the daughter that came out of it. I did a DNA test when you were a few months old, just to confirm my suspicions that I am your biological father.”

  She shuddered and turned her back on the call. Carter couldn’t blame her. Secrets like this broke hearts and shattered family dynamics. Would the Cokers be able to pull the pieces together again?

  “Carter, I called your agency because when I saw that video at the police station I knew I’d been duped. Cheated,” Jack said. “I don’t mean to be insulting, Jayne, but Yvette is a calculating woman.”

  “Yes, she was,” Jayne agreed. “She died more than a decade ago.”

  Jack started to offer what might’ve been sympathy, but Paige jumped in. “Back up a second, Dad.” She leaned close to the phone. “You saw that video and actually thought ‘what if my daughter has a twin?’” She glared at the phone as she waited for his answer.

  “A sister, at the very least,” Jack whispered.

  Carter swore under his breath. “Would’ve been a whole lot easier working with the facts from the start, Mr. Coker.” He wanted to shake some sense into the man.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t say anything. All I knew was that Paige was not the person in that video. What could the police do with my suspicions? I didn’t want to muddy the waters or do more harm than good by speaking up.”

  Carter decided not to argue. Not in front of Paige, at any rate. It would only pour salt in the wound if he pointed out that Jack’s attempt to hide the truth had put Paige in grave danger.

  “I’m assuming if Jayne is with you now, then she didn’t hurt Melissa,” Jack said.

  “Correct,” Carter replied. He wasn’t entirely sure about Jayne’s motives right now, but he would give her the benefit of the doubt based on what he’d seen so far. Didn’t mean he would leave the woman alone with Paige, or anyone important to Paige, until he had solid confirmation of her character.

  She might not understand that, but he was pretty sure Jayne had picked up on those signals. The world needed people as trusting as Paige, just like the world needed people like him to balance the scales.

  “Jayne, I’m very sorry,” Jack said. “I didn’t see Yvette again after the meeting with the lawyer to sign the adoption agreement. She agreed to prenatal care, but I didn’t think to require the doctor’s reports. That was, obviously, a disastrous error in judgment.”

  “My mother was a very difficult woman, Mr. Coker. I don’t blame you for any of this.”

  Carter hoped Jayne meant those words. He didn’t have years of personal history with Paige or her parents, but they were good people. Jack and Cora had raised a brilliant, beautiful woman. Paige was special and he didn’t want her or her parents getting conned or hurt.

  “If you were at the scene, Jayne, why didn’t you go to the police?” Jack asked.

  Paige bristled and Carter quickly jumped in. “Your daughters have been targeted,” he said. Jayne was more likely to become an ally if she didn’t feel cornered. “As the lead investigator, I’m not ready for Jayne to give a statement.” He ignor
ed the quizzical looks from the twins. “I don’t want the police to substitute Jayne for Paige as a suspect and stop looking for the truth.”

  “That’s not a very positive view,” Jack said.

  “Well, sir, in my experience, people have a tendency to latch onto what they can see and interpret it as the whole story. I’d rather not have either of your daughters in jail for a crime they didn’t commit.”

  “I agree. What can I do to help?”

  “Sit tight. Stay home. Don’t talk to anyone,” Carter ordered. “We’re still tracking leads, but my current theory is that the real target was Jayne, not Melissa.” Best to be clear when things were unraveling quickly. Jack wouldn’t want to sit still, and Carter needed him to stay out of the way. “Let the police presence and your security measures keep you safe.”

  “If you say so.” Jack’s tone warned he wasn’t thrilled with that directive. “If there’s anything I can do to help, ask. Should we bring in an extra guard for Jayne? Spare no expense for my girls.”

  He saw that declaration land hard as Paige’s eyes filled with tears. If only he could hit pause and let her have some time and space to work through this. Unfortunately, until he knew the police had the man who’d attacked them, he had to put her safety first. She swiped at the tear that spilled down her cheek and his own heart stuttered. She wanted to believe the best in everyone.

  One glance at Jayne showed an opposite reaction. She was shaking her head, denying the suggestion for personal protection. Because she had something to hide or because she didn’t trust anyone? It would take more digging. If, like Paige believed, she’d simply come to Charleston seeking answers about her biological father, she’d opened up one nasty can of worms in the process.

  “Jayne, are you still there?” Jack asked.

  She stepped closer to Carter’s phone. “Yes.”

  “Jayne, I would be honored to meet you,” Jack said. “I can’t change the past, but maybe we can do something positive moving forward. You came here looking for your father. I-I’m here.” He coughed. “Whenever you’re ready.”

  “What about Mom?” Paige demanded in a hushed gasp.

  “That’s between your mother and me, Paige,” Jack stated, a chilling undercurrent of misery in his voice. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I will do the right thing, the right way, now that I have a second chance.”

  “I’m getting them both to safety,” Carter said. No way was he letting either woman out of his sight until they had confirmation from the police that the attacker was in custody. “We’ll be in touch.” He ended the call before Jack could say another word.

  For a long moment he stared at the twins. Paige had just met her sister and the instant connection she felt was obvious. If something happened to Jayne while they sorted out this mess, it would devastate Paige.

  Her safety was his professional priority and he would honor that first. This need to shelter Paige specifically, to help her through every hardship, was a new experience.

  While Carter made his calls, Paige studied Jayne. She saw the same confusion pounding through her system reflected in her sister’s eyes. Her sister. She had no doubts. Her heart had flung caution to the wind back in the park, despite all of Carter’s warnings.

  But those warnings weren’t necessary. Jayne wasn’t Melissa’s killer and she wasn’t here to cause trouble. She was here for answers. Well, they had a few of those now.

  “Do you want to meet Dad?” Paige asked.

  Jayne’s eyes went wide. “No. I mean, yes.” She pushed her hands through her hair. “I do, but not now. I don’t want to bring trouble any closer to you or your family.”

  “They’re your family too.” She bit her lip, worrying about her mom. “Well, Dad is. I am.” Would it be out of line to hug Jayne? There were so many things she didn’t know about this woman and she tried to remember that looking alike didn’t make them the same.

  Jayne was a nurse and Paige could hardly stand the sight of blood and she hated needles. Jayne had the guts to go find answers and Paige had tiptoed around, reluctant to stir things up. “Do you like chocolate?”

  “That’s random,” Jayne replied. Then a slow smile spread over her face. “Yes. Are you white wine or red?”

  “Red most of the time,” Paige said. “But a white wine spritzer—”

  “—is the best on a hot summer evening,” Jayne finished.

  They were grinning at each other like a couple of goofy kids playing an icebreaker game. Having a sister was going to be marvelous.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Carter said. “I’ve spoken with the police.” He clutched his cell phone tightly in both hands. “The police have the man who attacked us downtown. Apparently, he can’t talk fast enough.”

  “What does that mean?” Paige wrapped her arms around herself, the happy glow of moments ago doused by a sudden chill.

  Carter swiped at his phone screen and a second later, Jayne’s cell phone chimed. “When did you get my number?” she asked, pulling the device from her pocket.

  “Agency resources.”

  Paige should’ve been horrified at his disregard for privacy. Instead she was impressed with his subtle resourcefulness. He’d promised to protect her and he wasn’t holding back. The awareness made her feel safe and hopeful that things would work out. For her and her sister.

  Carter lifted his chin toward Jayne’s phone. “Is that the man you saw in Melissa’s kitchen?”

  Jayne lurched away from the image on her screen. “Yes. That’s him.”

  “He has tattoos and healing scratches along the side of his neck, just as you described,” Carter confirmed. “He’s already told the detectives that Michael Yost hired him to kill Jayne. Melissa was collateral damage when the two of you fought over his gun.”

  Paige sucked in a breath, held it.

  “I’m so sorry,” Jayne began.

  “No,” Paige interrupted. “Not your fault.” Unable to resist, she hugged her sister, releasing her quickly before it turned awkward. “An accident.” She squeezed the words through her dry throat. “It’s terrible that you had to fight off a killer.”

  Her hands trembled and an unprecedented fury rolled through her. Yost and Yvette had toyed with their lives. No, worse than that. They had traded two brand new babies who should’ve been cherished and nurtured for an ugly profit.

  “We should get over to the police station. All three of us,” Carter said.

  She gave a jerky nod. “We can take the boat and have Detective Lewis meet us at the marina.” Even with Carter close, she didn’t want to be surrounded by anyone who could turn into an attacker. Good as he was, he was just one man and now he had to protect Jayne too. The detective owed her safe transport, at the very least.

  “That works,” Carter said. “We need to move fast. When Yost hears about this arrest he’s likely to run, or worse, hire someone new.”

  Another white-hot lick of temper shot through Paige’s veins. “Someone else should probably drive.”

  Carter pried the boat key from her grasp. “I’ve got this.”

  Paige called Detective Lewis, relaying her expectations. He was smart enough to agree to her terms. Then she and Jayne settled on the bench seat behind the captain’s chair. The wind in her hair cooled the first layer of her anger while Carter handled the boat like an expert.

  Yvette might be out of reach of any legal consequences, but Paige had every intention of seeing that Yost paid for the dreadful things he’d done to her family.

  Carter worried about the twins as they all left the marina. They were too quiet and he sensed Paige shutting down. Detective Lewis and his partner, Angela Cruz, met them as promised and now they were all in an official SUV headed back to the police station.

  Reaching out, Carter took Paige’s hand, lending her all the support he could. The detectives caught the gesture, but Carter didn’t care. She needed to know she wasn’t alone.

  After the oppressive silence of the car, the noise and activity of the
police station was a shock. It seemed to yank Paige out of her shell, though she didn’t talk until they were all settled in a conference room.

  “Better than interrogation,” she said to the detective she’d gone to school with.

  Detective Lewis had the grace to look sheepish. “I’m sorry, Paige. I do what I have to do. This job sucks sometimes.”

  “I’m sure it does.” She snapped her mouth shut and folded her hands in her lap. Carter, who’d been confident about reading her as recently as an hour ago, had no idea what she was holding back right now.

  “Okay, let me tell you where we are,” Detective Cruz began. “In answer to the emergency call, we brought in the man who attacked you at the rideshare pick up. He was rolling on his boss before patrol walked him in.” She checked her notes. “He came up from Atlanta after receiving a call for a job. Money was wired along with a picture of his target.” The detective glanced at Jayne.

  “Me?”

  “Yes.” Angela pulled a photograph from the file folder, her gaze moving from Paige to Jayne and back again. “That is you, right?”

  Jayne nodded. “Yost must have taken this after I left his office. That’s me at my car, in the parking lot of his building.”

  Carter leaned forward to get a better look at the picture. That was Jayne all right, in the same car Jenna had tracked down. The twins were identical, but there were differences in posture and style choices as well as their personal vehicles.

  Once Jayne explained how her meeting had gone with Yost, she dealt with the barrage of questions from both detectives regarding the night Melissa was killed.

  “She’s not in trouble, is she?” Paige asked Lewis. “It was an accident. She was trying to save herself.”

  The detectives exchanged a look. “With the confession on the books, I think we can spare everyone the extracurricular charges about leaving a crime scene and such,” Lewis said.

  Paige’s chin came up. “Good.”

  Carter asked, “You said the hired muscle rolled on his boss. Did he name Michael Yost?”